Aurora (The Exodus Trilogy) (11 page)

When Havelar left for another meeting, Thomas quickly entered his office and picked up his tablet. He made sure his signal was scrambled and activated an encryption protocol. Then he quickly entered a short message,
We need to talk
.
Now
, and sent it to Kenneth Taylor. He put his tablet away, as the encryption protocol made sure the message was erased, with no possibility of retrieval.

RAMON SOLIS

The room had gone silent. The critical voices had been heard, or rather, ultimatums had been given: Loyalty or immediate incarceration. Colonel Quellar stood easily in the corner, apparently aware that her presence made Havelar’s poorly hidden threat a very real possibility.

What seemed a lifetime ago, these men and women had been among the most powerful people in America. The Consortium. Their influence had run deep inside the Andrews administration, and major decisions had been discussed with these people before any public statements had been given. Now though, Ramon didn’t recognize any of them. The ones who had been critical of the Human Expansion Program, or with anything at all, were fully subdued. A few still stood staunchly by Havelar’s side. But no one could doubt that the balance had shifted. This was no longer a loose congregation of powerful figures with their own agendas and opinions. All power resided with one man, the one who had taken them from a doomed Earth to this new world, where none of the old rules mattered. This was Havelar’s time, and everyone in the room had subjected themselves to his reign. Ramon as well. He remained skeptical to this idea, but he could sympathize with his friend’s motives. He wondered who would be chosen for the HEP. At first the idea had appalled him, but after hearing the arguments, and Havelar’s reassurance that inclusion in the HEP would be voluntary and followed by benefits that might tempt quite a few, he’d come to accept it. Somehow they had to avoid becoming as vulnerable as it turned out they were back on Earth.

“I guess everyone is aware of the obstacles and ready to do whatever it takes to meet them head on. There are powers that will resist, and some of those will be very dangerous. We all know what happened on Mars. And we know there have been some serious instances of sabotage, which means we may have to use force.” The room was quiet, and everyone around seemed to take in the weight of the words. Havelar pressed on.

“We have taken measures to stop any serious opposition from organizing, meaning that we have arrested a number of people we considered possible leaders of such an opposition. Unfortunately, Admiral Hamilton managed to escape. And there was no possibility of capturing Major Hammer either, as the entire community up there would resist, I’m afraid.”

“I guess we can’t shoot everyone who doesn’t agree with us,” someone said, and got a sharp look from the governor. Apparently this was no time to try to be funny.

“No, we can’t. But make no mistake. I will use any means necessary to bring us back together, and the HEP is far too vital to our long-term survival as a species to have a few disgruntled individuals stand in its way.” Havelar looked as determined as ever, and Ramon recognized it from years of doing business together. George Havelar would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Perhaps that particular trait was exactly what had gotten them all to Aurora in the first place. Sometimes though, Havelar needed a counter balance, and Ramon had taken that role more than once in the past.

“We may have to talk to our enemies though,” Ramon said, earning him an equally sharp look from Havelar. Ramon didn’t balk though.

“Except for the terrorists, I doubt anyone wishes for this situation to turn violent. If it’s necessary, well so be it. But we should try every option before we go down that road.”

“What do you propose, Ramon?” Havelar said.

“I believe the best thing would be to speak to a leader. Someone who can speak on behalf of the rest, who commands respect. Were we to reach an agreement with such a person, the others would follow. And I believe we should go far to reach such an agreement. The HEP is non negotiable of course, but there may be other issues as well.”

“And who do you propose we speak to?” Havelar said, eyes narrowing.

“Admiral Hamilton. I know you don’t like it, but a lot of people listen to him, and he is the one person who would be able to unite the forces that are apparently working against us. I don’t think we’ll be able to turn him around, but I’m sure he would see the dangers of this division.” Ramon waited for a reply, but Havelar only nodded slightly, and he saw a few of the others nodding as well, although whatever their previous positions, it was just one opinion that counted at this point.

“Yes, Hamilton is the man to speak to. He could unite them against us, or he could make sure everyone follows his lead, bringing us together,” Havelar agreed after what seemed an eternity. “I don’t like it, but it seems I have no choice.” Havelar bit his lip, and suddenly seemed uncertain of his next move. Ramon was about to speak when Havelar interrupted him.

“Ramon, I want you in charge. I would never be able to come to an agreement with the man. I can’t stand the sight of him, and it’s mutual. The colonel will give you an armed escort, not as large as to provoke anything, but enough to make them aware of what they are facing.” Havelar extended his hand, and Ramon took it.

“I won’t let you down, George,” Ramon said. Havelar smiled.

“I know you won’t. Our hope of unity rests with you now. If anyone can pull this off, you’re the one,” he said. Then he sat down and put his tablet in front of him, as Ramon knew he often did to record any ideas that might be useful later.

“All right, we need to plan how to do this. What terms to offer, how far we’re willing to budge, and how to respond to the most likely demands.” As they continued discussing the details, Ramon reflected upon their situation. He would do this, not only out of loyalty toward his old friend, but also because he believed it was the right thing to do. He could sympathize with the ones who felt they should go in a different direction. Ideally there should be more individual freedom and less control by the administration. But unity was important as well, and this was their one opportunity. How could they take any chances, remembering what happened to Earth? Of course there would be personal sacrifices, but if that made their common survival in the long run more likely, it might be worth it.

And the one thing they couldn’t afford was war. He feared that more than anything. The split was bad, but open war in a population of sixteen hundred? If it came to that, it would have to be settled quickly, or they might never recover. One strike to sever the head of the snake, to minimize the sacrifices. If that meant a hard, swift blow, he wondered if he had it in him to be as merciless as would be necessary.

No, this split was too dangerous to be allowed to continue. He could see the consequences, and although he had his doubts now and then, his faith in the unity of this colony was what steeled him for what would come.

MARIA SOLIS

The night was cold, and Maria pulled the zipper of her coat all the way up to her chin, quickly crossing the street, careful not to stumble on the uneven ground. With the curfew in effect, Fort Andrews was dark, with only the starlight to see by. Maria had stayed with Geena too late, and she had to sneak past the patrols to get back home. She didn’t worry too much about it though. She’d done it a few times before, and the guards hadn’t been too difficult to avoid. Besides, it was just a ten-minute walk, and she was already halfway there.

Just when she stopped to listen for the patrols, she heard noises coming from behind the next building. She contemplated going back the way she had come, but that would take her away from home, and she was dead tired. She just wanted to get home and crash on her bed. She decided to go around on the north side, keeping close to the building. If it was just loud teenagers, she’d probably slip by quietly. She had to make sure it wasn’t the guards though. If it was, she’d have to wait until they passed.

As she moved closer to the sound, it became clearer, but it wasn’t until she almost stumbled upon a frightened couple fleeing the scene that she heard the shouting voices. She moved closer to the edge of the building and peeked out. There were at least fifteen to twenty people gathered in the street, shouting at a small group of soldiers. The soldiers were armed, but didn’t seem to be threatening them. A tall heavyset man stood in front of the others, clearly taking the lead.

“Let them go, for Christ’s sake. They didn’t do anything wrong,” he said, fuming. A sergeant answered as he stared intently at each and every one of them.

“You all know there’s a curfew. Anyone caught outside will be punished.” Then he smirked.

“A couple of days in the brig would do them good. And the same goes for all of you.” That last remark brought curses and shouts, and Maria noticed the soldiers holding their rifles a little more tightly. She made herself as small as she possibly could. There was no way she could pass, and going back might bring attention to her. She didn’t think anyone had noticed her, and the couple she’d encountered was long gone by now. She was stuck here, and all she could do was pretend to be invisible. In the shadow, she almost was. She was thinking maybe she ought to close her eyes as well, when she saw a man, a skinny fellow with the shoulders of his olive green parka hunched up tight, throw a stone at the nearest guard. It all happened too fast, as she held her breath. The guard noticed the stone and managed to avoid it as he swung his gun up and squeezed off a round without aiming. A woman standing next to the skinny man bent over, clutching her leg. She screamed, and then time seemed to slow down as the events got out of hand.

The man who had thrown the stone froze with his hands held up high, and a couple of others followed his lead. As the soldiers seemed to turn their attention to the skinny fellow, the tall man who’d been talking to the sergeant less than a minute ago, reached into his pocket and produced a heavy knife. Shouting something, he threw himself at the sergeant. A soldier standing nearby managed to club him in the face with the butt of the rifle, which brought him to the ground, knife slipping out of his hand. Before he had a chance to get up, the sergeant stepped forward, unfastening his sidearm.

“Stupid fucking asshole,” he said in a slow, flat voice, pointing the gun at the man’s head.

“A knife to a gunfight? I never thought I’d see that one for real.” Then he fired. Once. Twice. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks. Maria had a hard time not screaming, but she found herself unable to look away from the blood seeping into the snow-covered ground, quickly coloring it a deep pink.

“Sarge, why did…” one of the soldiers started, before another pushed him and he fell quiet. The sergeant just stared at the dead body before he said anything. When he did, it was in a quiet voice, but Maria heard him clearly.

“These people attacked us. We defended ourselves. We made it out without military casualties. They all died.” A corporal nodded firmly, lifting his gun to point at the protesters. Then he emptied his rifle in two- and three-shot bursts. The sergeant followed suit, and moments later, the rest of the soldiers fired everything they had into the group. The sound was deafening, and Maria covered her ears as she leaned back as far as she could, letting the shadows cover her entirely. Still she could hear the whimpers and moans once the barrage ended, followed by single shots here and there. When the last shots had been fired, all she could hear was a deafening silence.

She lay there for a long time, shivering in the dark, even as other people came to witness the carnage. She had no idea how long she had been hiding, when a familiar voice spoke to her. She couldn’t make out the words though. She felt numb, and her brain seemed to be in a fog. She slowly lifted her head and looked up. It was Geena, wide eyed and with a shocked expression on her face.

“Th… They k… killed…” Maria stuttered, not able to finish. Geena looked around. Then she grabbed Maria by the arm and helped her up.

“Come on, we’ve got to get away from here. I think I know where to go, just hang on.”

Chapter 8

KENNETH TAYLOR

“I’m coming, I’m coming!” Kenneth shouted, but the banging on his door continued unabated. He threw on a worn sweater, cursing as it got stuck in his facemask. Then he unlocked his door, and let the cold night air inside.

Geena withdrew her hand from the door, and hoisted Maria inside. Kenneth, taken by surprise, stumbled upon his own words, and stepped aside. Once the girls were inside, he shut the door quickly and looked at them. Geena breathed heavily, as she let her almost unconscious friend slump to the floor. Maria looked pale, almost blue, and shivered hard, as Geena sat down next to her and began to rub her sides.

“What happened?” Kenneth said. Geena turned halfway toward him.

“Get her something warm to drink, and I’ll explain.” He went over to grab a cup, and a few minutes later was helping Maria take little sips of tea, careful not to give her too much the tea was steaming hot.

“I found her just minutes away. Thought about taking her home, but then I figured your place was closer. Besides, I wanted you to hear this.” She paused, then asked, “Did you hear the noise? The shooting?”

“Yes, I heard it. What about it?” He had a bad suspicion, but he tried not to show it. “Hell of a noise actually. It’s been just a couple of days since they shot that balder by the reactor. Was it another one?” Kenneth tried to sound inconspicuous, even though he knew this wasn’t about balders. Geena shook her head, as the words came out, hurried.

“There were dead people everywhere. The soldiers did it, I think. And Maria must have seen the whole thing.” He felt the hair on his back rising, as he looked over at Maria, still shivering uncontrollably. Hypothermia. He noticed a tear in the corner of her eye.

“Come on, both of you,” he said as he helped them up off the floor and over to his couch. Then he found them both blankets, and got a cup of tea for Geena as well. When he had poured himself one, he sat down on a chair across from them. By then, Maria seemed to be getting her wits back. She still shook, but not as hard as before, and she managed a weak “Thank you.”